Celebrating Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee
The Platinum Jubilee is a remarkable achievement and we extend our respect and admiration to Her Majesty.
RADA has had a Royal Charter since 1920 and the Queen has been Royal patron since her accession to the throne in 1952.
She first visited as Princess Elizabeth in 1946 with her sister Princess Margaret and her mother The Queen, and she has visited many times, helping us to celebrate our own major milestones and showing great interest in our training. In 2014 the Queen graciously welcomed us to Buckingham Palace to celebrate the UK’s dramatic arts and to mark RADA’s 110th anniversary.
When she opened our new, refurbished buildings in 2000 she said "Britain has a proud heritage in all the arts, but none stands higher in world-wide reputation and acclaim than our theatre and acting profession."
We are delighted to offer our heartfelt congratulations to Her Majesty for the extraordinary milestone of her Platinum Jubilee.
- 1920 Royal Charter granted
- 1921 Prince of Wales visits to open Academy Theatre
- 1931 Duchess of York (later The Queen) opens new building
- 1937 HM The Queen attends the Kendal Prize performance
- 1943 HM The Queen visits the Little Theatre
- 1946 HM The Queen visits RADA with Princess Elizabeth and Margaret
- 1947 HM The Queen attends performance by RADA at Lyric Theatre
- 1950 and 1959 Further royal visits to RADA shows in London Theatres
- 1964 HM The Queen and HM The Queen Mother attend RADA's 60th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee celebrations
- 1980 HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh attend RADA's 75th Anniversary celebrations
- 1999 HM The Queen visits RADA's Chenies Street site
- 2000 HM The Queen re-opens RADA's newly refurbished building
- 2004 HM The Queen attends RADA's centenary celebrations
(Images from left to right: HM The Queen Mother and Princess Elizabeth and Margaret attend a RADA performance at the Drury Lane Theatre in 1950; HM The Queen and Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh attend RADA's 75th Anniversary celebrations in 1980; another royal visit to RADA in 1998; Brian Avery, Richard Hurst and Lord Attenborough show the Queen a model of the Gower/Malet Street development in 2000; HM The Queen attends RADA's centenary celebrations with RADA students)
